Grand Divisions (Tennessee)
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The Grand Divisions are geographic, cultural, and legally recognized regions each compromising a third of the State of Tennessee. The Grand Divisions are represented prominently by the three stars on the flag of Tennessee.
Geographic and cultural
West, Middle, and East Tennessee are both geographical and cultural regions. East Tennessee is dominated by the Appalachian mountain chain, specifically the Great Smoky Mountains. This largely rural region is one of the few regions in the South which has consistently voted Republican since Reconstruction. It is separated from Middle Tennessee by the Cumberland Plateau and the line between the Eastern and Central Time Zones. Middle Tennessee is dominated by rolling hills and fertile stream valleys. A portion of the Tennessee River demarcates the boundary between Middle and West Tennessee. West Tennessee's other border is the Mississippi River, and most of the region lies within the Mississippi embayment.
Legal meaning
The Tennessee State Constitution mandates that no more than two of the five Justices on the state's Supreme Court can be from any one Division to help keep the court free from regional bias. The court must also meet regularly in each Division. Similar rules apply to some other state institutions as well.
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